No Announcements Next Week

MailChimp will be on a break this coming week. Greg will be at a retreat from Dec. 11 through Dec. 18.

Cleaning out the Foyer Closets - An Update

Ruth will get to the actual cleaning out of the closets after Christmas.

Ministry and Counsel Announcements

Fourth Sundays- We are planning the following Fourth Sundays:

• December – This is a holiday
• January – State of Society- reflecting on the spiritual state of our meeting- What has 2021 been like for us?
• February - Nominating Committee- will help us examine how our gifts can be used in service to the meeting.
• March - A chance get to know the people of AFSC NH with a visit from Maggie Fogarty and Grace Kindeke. You will love them!

Christmas Eve - How about a potluck Christmas Eve program? – instead of a dish, bring a reading, poem or song to share! Contact Sara Smith if you can come and let her know if you wish to share. Let the spirit move us!

Ongoing programs:

• We continue to offer two book groups that meet online. Currently reading:
  • The Gatherings: Reimagining Indigenous- Settler relations - 2nd and 4th Monday
  • Enrique’s Journey: the story of a boy’s dangerous odyssey to reunite with his mother - Thursdays
• Care groups Tuesday and Wednesday- Join a group to support each other and share our daily lives.
• Quaker Basics - learn the basics of Quakerism. By arrangement with Mark Barker
• Friends Committee on National Legislation: Join NH’s advocacy team to lobby our Congressional Reps on issues of peace and justice. (Sara Smith)

If interested in joining these - check with any member of Ministry and Counsel for details.

News from Kenya and Uganda from Marian Baker

Marian has sent an interesting letter from her travels in East Africa. Find it here [1].

The following items are repeated from prior announcements.

Abundance in Advent Calendars: It's not too Late!

If you haven't been able to pick up an "Abundance in Advent Calendar" in person at the Meetinghouse (decorated by the children), please download this document [2] and print it. (f you have trouble doing this, email ruthmheath [at] comcast [dot] net to get one emailed to you as an attachment.) The funds raised from this will enable us to sponsor Christine Imbiti (and her family) in Kakamega, Kenya, as she attends high school this year. Each day will remind us of some aspect of our lives that we may take for granted, and prompts us to make a donation based on our abundance. For example, 'give a dollar is you have been or are in school' or "give 25 cents for each bedroom in your home". Our abundance is put into perspective. By getting to know Christine over the years our children have come to know that many of the objects noted in the calendar are not necessarily a part of her daily life.

Please plan to change out of winter footwear when entering the building.

Winter is here in all but name. Friends are reminded that changing into indoor shoes or slippers is strongly encouraged. That way we won't be leaving puddles of melted snow and tracks of abrasive grit under our chairs in the Meeting Room. Cleanup is so much easier!

Women's Club/Friends Program

Elaine has written about this important project

The Friends Program has asked the Woman’s Club of Concord (WCC) for some help with their Holiday Giving Program. For those who aren’t familiar with the organization, they are a non-profit that uses volunteer help to “perform community service and restore faith in the human spirit”. They do this by mentoring at risk youth, helping the homeless and assisting NH seniors in achieving a higher quality of life. We think this work aligns nicely with the WCC mission. The Friends have a new manager of their Mentoring Program, Julianne Manchester. She called to ask if we could help with their holiday gift gathering for some of the families they now support and we said yes.

Below are the details:

We have been given wish lists for 3 families – the women of the Club are busy fulfilling these Christmas gift wishes. But we learned of one family that was really struggling; the Dad is in prison and the Mom is alone with 4 small children.

One family in particular needs our help urgently – a young mother and her 4 little boys who are currently unhoused but staying in a hotel. Now their car has stopped working and needs repairs. For this family we need Market Basket gift cards and dollars for the car mechanic’s bill. Gift cards can be left in an envelope clearly marked Friends Program Gift Card and slipped into the mail box of the Chamberlin House – 44 Pleasant St. Concord.

To help with payment for car repairs, please make checks payable to Friends Program and mark Youth Mentoring on the memo line. These too can be put into an envelope and delivered through the Chamberlin House mail box.

Or contact Elaine at 617-359-8699 and she will help coordinate.

I am told the Friends Program is asking for this work to be completed by December 13th! We still have time to make a big difference for some people that are suffering hardship right now.

Thank you all, in advance for your help with this Special Holiday Challenge,

Elaine Bello

President, Woman’s Club of Concord

Are you wanting information from past announcements?

Visit this page on our web site: Past Announcements [3]

Are you wanting to donate to Concord Monthly Meeting?

Visit this page on our web site for more information: Donations [4]